My Faithful Lullaby
by Cosmic Hostility
Summary: Music is referred to as the universal language, a language that can portray emotion like no other, one that can reach to just about anyone. So why does Cedric use it to entrance our favorite magical hero? First one! Slash, HPXCD Enjoy! 12 UP!
1. Prologue:The True Fate of Cedric Diggory

**Author's Note:** Fluffy here. I just want to say, thanks for reading this. The idea struck me as I was rereading my Harry Potter 4 book, and I suddenly thought, "What if..." and the wheels started rolling from there. In my fanfic, Cedric hasn't died, and he and Harry fight off Voldemort and his followers together. In the struggle, Cedric almost dies, and Harry successfully brings him back to Hogwarts as J. K. Rowling had him do. Shown by this suprising amount of heroism, Harry soon falls in love with the Hufflepuff Hottie, and soon trouble starts to occur.

**Pairing:**HarryXCedric, and some RonXHemione

**Rating:**PG [It's just the beginning, cut me some slack, k?

**Disclaimer:** Of course it's not mine, otherwise the book would be in your hands, not in the computer.

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Harry looked across the dead landscape next to Privet Drive, his green eyes bored already with the all too familiar area. He followed the little dancing children as they raced across the playground, envious to their smiles of joy knowing that he had never felt that feeling before Hogwarts came into his life. The magnificent school had changed his life, it's every spire and stone affected where he was now. And, he wouldn't have it any other way. Sighing heavily, he turned away from the window to face the annoying call of his Aunt Petunia. 

He only had two more days until the beginning of term, and the start of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Every night, he had been traumatized by the events at the end of last year, ever tossing and turning in his sleep. The worst part was, he couldn't go to anyone in the immediate area for help about this matter, he could only write to his godfather, and his friends, who mysteriously danced around the matter of his breaking out of the demonic Dursley's house.

Now, as he subconsciously served tea to his aunt and uncle, his thoughts drifted to Cedric Diggory, the so-called Hufflepuff Hottie. The astonishingly handsome wizard had narrowly escaped death at the hands of Voldemort, and together they had escaped his snakelike clutches. Unconscious, and very near death, Cedric had returned to Hogwarts by the portkey, and Harry had been honored as a hero. Cedric was a great wizard, and was brave and courageous in the face of inevitable death. He had taken out at least six death eaters on his own in that dreadful night in the graveyard. Sadly, as he turned his wand on the next victim, a certain Lucius Malfoy stopped him in his tracks. The disgusting wizard had distracted the boy from Hufflepuff with small talk about his father, and unexpectedly gave him a dose of the Cruciatus curse. Cedric went down, and was tortured, then ignored for the rest of the ordeal.

Harry was ripped from his thoughts by a sharp pain in his hand. He looked down to see blood expanding from his finger. In his anger at Voldemort, he had broken a teacup and cut his hand. He quickly grabbed a towel and wiped his hand off, ready for the new term to start.

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I know it's short, but this is just the first part. I plan to make another story about what happened in the graveyard and how Ced got away, but it's still in the works. I'm trying, k? Now just R&R peeps, R&R. 


	2. All Things Began on the Train

Hey, Fluffy has returned again! This time, with a new chapter. Now, I want to thank my four reviewers. They are:

IcePrincess87: Your reviews are short, sweet and to the point. Thanks!

LiterationnStuff: Nice title pun, and yes, this is one of my favorite pairings too.

reallyinnocent2007: Thanks for giving my story a chance. Maybe it can show you the true meaning of slash fiction.

DeliaDee:Thanks, you're my first reviewer, kudo's to you.

Thanks to you four, my story is up on it's feet. This next chapter is dedicated to all that hope to faithfully read this story through to it's completion. I love you all. Please review if you have any ideas on plot, I would really like to add them if they're good.

One more thing. I can't make any gurantees about how often I will be able to update. My life can get pretty crazy, especially with report cards coming out soon. I will _attempt_ to update on every weekend, this coming one the exception [maybe because I have a swim tournament that lasts like two days. So, I hope you all will forgive me if I take a prolonged abscence for updating, and, again, I love you all.

Thanks,

Fluffy

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Rating for this Chapter: PG [Although, it does start the relationship very minorly, it stays with the clothes on! LOL!

Disclaimer: Believe me, if Harry Potter was mine, I wouldn't be posting this on the internet.

Hope you enjoy,

Fluffy

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As Harry took the last step on to the Hogwarts Express, he turned his head to look at the dismal afternoon. It was raining, and that troubled him. Normally, going to school was a good thing, a happy parting from the annoying, Muggle-packed, London streets, but now he felt different. He felt as if this was the last time he would ever board the train the way he looked at himself now. Sighing, he waved a goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, his unofficial foster mother, (or so he liked to think of her) and took the last step into the train, attempting to leave that horrible uneasy feeling behind.

He found his own compartment, and after struggling to get his luggage into the luggage rack above his head. He sat on the cushioned bench, leaned his head against the cool window, and closed his eyes.

Behind the fleshy curtain that his eyelids formed, a nightmare awaited. In his mind, he tossed and turned as he relived every waking moment of the horrible night in the graveyard. He saw Cedric's expression of pure fear as he looked into Lucius' eyes, and he heard the heart-ripping scream as the word _Crucio_ softly sprung from the older wizard's mouth.

"Harry? Harry, are you all right?" he heard a voice say.

His eyes fluttered open to look into a pair of foreign and curious gray eyes.

"Hunh?" Harry mumbled tiredly. He sat up and looked around. Cedric was in his compartment, and obviously Hermione and Ron were still doing prefect's duty, as their luggage wasn't here yet. "What happened?"

Cedric couldn't keep down a little chortle as he answered, "You fell asleep, Harry. I was walking by with a first year when I looked over and saw you thrashing in you sleep. I came in and woke you up, and now you found me here. What were you dreaming about?" Cedric's voice as he said this last sentence was dripping with worry, and Harry noticed that his eyes were showing a lot of concern.

"The graveyard," Harry whispered, and that was all the older boy needed to know.

Hesitantly, but on instinct, Cedric gathered Harry up in huge bear hug, and held him tight. "It's been bothering you all summer, hasn't it?" Cedric whispered into his ear.

Harry slowly nodded, and buried his head into Cedric's shoulder.

In a way, Harry felt a little awkward. Here he was, crying into Cedric's shoulder like a little child in a train compartment. He had only known Ced for a little less than a year, the Goblet of Fire intertwining their fates as both of Hogwarts' champions. But for some unknown reason, he liked the contact that Cedric gave him, he enjoyed the touch of the hug, and he snuggled in for some more.

"It's been bothering me, too," he heard the Hufflepuff whisper, but was to engrossed in the embrace to be shocked or astounded.

They stayed in that position, just a while longer, until they heard the compartment door open and then they quickly broke apart.

Ron and Hermione stood in the doorway talking to each other as they entered the room. They completely ignored the slightly red faced Harry and calm Cedric, that is, until they took a look at there surroundings.

Ron was dumbfounded. He expected anyone but Cedric in the compartment with Harry, even Malfoy would have satisfied his suspicions. But _the_ Hufflepuff Hottie himself? Hermione on the other hand, kept a level head and an expressionless face as she said, "Hello Cedric, have a nice summer?"

"You bet!" he replied enthusiastically, as if nothing had been going on before hand.

"Uh…why are you here?" Ron asked rather rudely, and this earned him a sharp pain in the ribs from Hermione's elbow.

"Oh, I uh…was just asking Harry about his summer. He said it was as horrible as the last four," Cedric looked around, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. "Umm, I think I'm just going to head out. I'll bet Cho is looking hi and low for me right now," and with that, he positively sprinted out the door.

"Is he okay about last year?" Hermione asked immediately after the other boy was out of earshot.

"No, but then neither of us are," Harry replied sadly. He shuddered.

"Harry, are you okay? It looks as if you've seen a ghost," Ron asked bluntly.

"Yeah, I just fell asleep and had a nightmare. That's all," Harry replied all to calmly.

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks. Hermione sat down next to him and put a reassuring hand upon his back. "It's going to be okay, just relax. We're going to school, and no one can hurt you there. Just calm down," she knew it was going to be a worrisome year for the three of them.

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The first fluff...This could get interesting. My summary of my alternate ending is coming, so please be patient. That thing is harder to write that I thought it would be. So, I hope that you liked this installment of My Faithful Lullaby, and I hope to have more coming. Please review or e-mail me if you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the story. For instance, and this may be a little early, but do you think that I should kill Cedric in the end, or have this become an ongoing series? Please vote on this matter by posting reviews or e-mail. I will end the poll when I have had 20 votes from different writers total. Please check my profile for updates on the poll's standings.

Thanks,

Fluffy


	3. Demonic Dolores

Hi, Fluffy with the third chapter. Wow, this is going way quicker than I thought it would. Now, this chapter was written in a matter of three hours, and is, I think, the best one yet. Here, Harry...scratch that, I'll let you find out. This one is to all of my fans out there, and those who have yet to come along. I got two more reviews, so thank you to:

IcePrincess87: Thanks for your vote. You are the first one!

DeliaDee: You are my faithful first reviewer. Thanks for stickin' with me!

Now, I must say that those of you who may forget to vote, don't worry. Just give me an e-mail. Your thoughts really count on this matter. IcePrincess, kudo's to you. One last thing, I ask that you read my author's notes, for more of these questions will appear, and it would be best if I get immediate feedback, because it may affect when the next chapter is posted. So, as I log off, I thank all of my reviewers once again, and I hope that I will satisfy your hunger for a good fanfiction.

Fluffy

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Harry looked up at the head table, his eyes scanning the teachers. Grumbling Professor Snape, happy Professor Sprout, and, as always, his eyes twinkling, Professor Dumbledore. Except, for one difference on the very end, the table was the same. It was decorated with its normal black table runners and tassels, it's towering candles and ornate plates. Even Hagrid's chair was the same, although it was mysteriously empty. But what really interested Harry was the rather plump woman with brown mousy hair. What really disgusted him was that she insisted to wear these downright _ugly_ pastel pink robes. She had a matching pink hat, and the whole outfit had actual pink _fur._ Harry tapped Hermione on the shoulder.

"Do you see that new ugly pink professor?" he asked her, disgust dripping from his tone.

Hermione shuddered. "That robe is the most repulsing color I think I have ever seen. And you haven't seen what my grandmother dresses in," she said.

"Heh, I think I have a pretty good idea. Have you ever seen what Aunt Marge wears?"

Hermione giggled, and Dumbledore rose, softly tapping the side of his crystal goblet.

"And so it begins, another year at Hogwarts. I feel so happy seeing your faces stare back at me, waiting to have your minds filled with abundant knowledge," He looked at the first years, who had already been sorted and taken their seats at the respective tables. "The events of last year still hang among us, and we are glad to see that Mr. Diggory is in full working order, and we hope that he will stay this way," a couple chuckles were emitted from the various tables at this statement. Dumbledore grinned. "Now, for some updates on staffing and on the rules of the castle for the newcomers. First, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Rubeus Hagrid, has taken a little vacation, and in his place we have put Professor Grubbly-Plank. [A/N: I think I spelled that right Also, to fill the vacated spot of Defense Against the Dark Arts, we have Professor Dolores Umbridge, who kindheartedly offered-," Dumbledore was interrupted by an annoying,

"_Hem-hem_," which was emitted from said person, and sounded like a toilet being unclogged.

"Who kindheartedly offered to take the-," Dumbledore tried again, but failed in the same fashion. "Who, I presume, would like to share a word with us. Professor Umbridge?" Dumbledore gave in, and gestured to her to proceed.

"Thank you, headmaster," she said in a high-pitched, girlish tone. "Now, I would like to say, that to those of you who have had other teachers previous to myself, and I stress this point especially to the fifth-years and above, that many of the teachers expressed…odd…qualities when they taught. And, because of the constant change in teaching methods throughout the past five years, your education has been very, scant, shall I say? Well, the Ministry of Magic favors a safe, yet productive environment for your learning, and I intend to do just that. Be forewarned that I will crush any attempts to destroy my form of order, as order is, I feel, the most important factor in the classroom, and to effective teaching. As I look upon all of your smiling, young faces, I also feel that it is my duty to carry out this form of teaching in the best way that I can." Throughout her speech, the plump woman had slowly crossed the area in front of the head table three times, using hand motions to emphasize a point. "Thank you," she said with finality, and returned to her seat.

Dumbledore, who had taken a seat during the overly prolonged monologue, rose once again, and resumed his summary of school protocol.

Harry looked over at Hermione, who wore a look of mild horror on her face. "Hermione, what did that hag mean?" he asked her in an undertone.

"She meant that the Ministry of Magic is interfering at Hogwarts," she replied in a terrified whisper.

Later that evening, as they exited the Great Hall with full-to-the-brim stomachs and high spirits, Harry, Hermione and Ron were talking heatedly about Professor Umbridge.

"I think that she is well educated, but mildly insane. Does she even know how hated she will be here, when she comes out and states that she is working for the Ministry?" Hermione said, still utterly furious.

"Did you think that most of the people in there got the meaning of her message in there?" Ron asked, again, he asked very bluntly.

"Of course they did Ron! Not everyone is as stupid as you are!" Hermione pointed out.

Harry had stopped listening to them bicker, and instead looked across the Entrance Hall, and right into the eyes of Cedric Diggory. Faster than you could blink, and for some unknown reason, the blood rushed to his face, and Harry looked down as he shyly scuffed his shoe against the floor. He faintly heard Cedric giggle, only turning his face redder. He looked up in time to see the older boy vanish down the staircase that led to the kitchens, and the entrance to Hufflepuff House. Harry turned back to his friends.

"Harry, did you understand what the hag said?" Ron asked him.

"Huh?" was Harry's reply.

"Harry," Hermione said. "Why is your face so red?" she looked behind him, and obviously saw Cho Chang, the girl from Cedric's year. "Did you see _her?_" she asked, mildly disgusted.

"Cho? Oh, no. It's just funny when you two bicker," he replied, hoping his excuse would be enough.

His two friends looked at him oddly, and simultaneously, as if they had practiced it, they both shrugged and started up the grand staircase to Gryffindor Tower.

That night, as Harry slept, he actually did not dream of the scene in the graveyard. This was the first time in four months that he wasn't tortured with the thought of having to see Cedric brutally hurt and pummeled to the point of near-death. Instead, he dreamt of a heavenly scene. He was floating, except he _wasn't_. He was standing among the clouds, and across from him stood Cedric Diggory.

The robes that flowed around him looked like liquid, and outlined the lines of the older boys chest, making him look even more handsome than he had ever seen. Maybe it was because this was a dream, or maybe it was because Harry was having a closer look at him. But Harry didn't care. All he wanted was to look into those endless gray eyes, those beautiful irises, which looked as if they hung between yin and yang, good and evil.

Cedric, down in the Hufflepuff dorms, was having the same exact dream. He also was in the clouds, except he was staring at Harry, who looked like the most amazing, the most magnificent human male on the face of the planet. Cedric looked at Harry, his gray eyes drinking in every detail of the younger teen. In three short strides, he closed the gap between them. His mouth opened to say something, and nothing came out. That moment would hang in the air, for the sun came up, shining it's happy rays upon the pair of them, and breaking them of their reverie. Cedric sat up and rubbed his eyes, his mind in utter bliss at the moment he had dreamed of.

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So cute. Yes, I am sorry for the cliffhanger. It's one of those things that you hate to get, but love to give, you know what I mean? Well anyway, I ask you to please review, and don't forget to vote on the question from next chapter. In case you forgot, it was on whether or not Cedric should live or die at the end. IcePrincess set a good example, but you can also e-mail me. My address is shown on my profile.


	4. Nighttime Encounters

This is the new chapter, and A LOT better than the other ones. It starts off in Cedric's point of view and then changes to Harry's when you see the line. If you have any questions, just email me, and I will be happy to answer them as soon as I can. Well this is going to be very short, but, hey, I'm tired and I need to go to bed in a little, so I hope you enjoy!

Thanks,

Fluffy

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Rating: PG [I was thinking of bumping it up a notch, but then I thought better of it. They get really...wait, almost spoiled the chapter. BAD HAND! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Me no own, got that?

Umm...Thanks,

Fluffy

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Cedric sat up and rubbed his crusted eyelids. Suprisingly, he had slept well, and for the first time in months, he had not dreamed of the graveyard scene. He hated to see Harry tied up to that headstone, despised to feel the fear and horror that poured from every pore of the younger boy's skin. He also hated feeling fear himself, and that's just what he _did_ feel when he looked at the serpentine face of Voldemort, and into the pale features of Lucius Malfoy. What his father would have done to the fellow Ministry of Magic employee, Cedric had no idea, and never would. For some odd reason, when Harry had explained and attempted to accuse the Death Eaters who had returned to the graveyard on that foreboding night, Cedric didn't back him up. Maybe it was because he felt sorry that the Death Eaters had accidentally chosen the wrong path, and now they couldn't turn back and try again. No, that wasn't it, how could he feel sorry for monsters like those, who liked to torture, who enjoyed the screams of pain he had emitted when Lucius had started torturing him. Maybe it was because he wanted to avenge himself on his own. With just a showdown between him and the older wizard and not letting other people do it for him. Yes, maybe that was the reason. He wanted the satisfaction when he was the reason that the life left the disgusting man's eyes. A fiendish grin arose to his face. That was it. He wanted to exact his revenge, to be able to give the man a taste of his own medicine, a taste of his own torture. But, in order to do that, he would have to wait. He would have to plan, waiting for the exact moment to tear off the mask that Lucius wore, and expose him for the primitive beast that he really is. Cedric wanted to ruin him, to make his pureblood name spat on and a disgusting thing to mention in normal conversation.

Cedric shook his head, to clear his mind of such thoughts. He got out of bed and dressed for the day, combing his neat hair into its usual style. Now, he would have to wait for inspiration to hit him, for the right idea to enter his cranium. He gathered his schoolbooks, took one last look into the mirror to check if everything was in its place, and headed out for the day.

He headed to the Great Hall, only to run into Cho and her girl gang on the way. As usual, they groveled over him and attempted to make small talk with him. But, he gently turned them down as he usually did, his years of experience leaving them less broken hearted than any other boy would.

After he had dispatched the pair of girls by directing them to some other poor sap, he sat down at the Hufflepuff table, and ladled porridge into his bowl. He had progressively been able to eat more and more after his ordeal in the Triwizard Tournament, and after his near death experience. His appetite had returned, more forceful than ever, and he slowly began to empty the bowl as he scanned the room for nothing in particular.

There was Cho, her gaggle of girls practically strangling the other Hufflepuff boy. There was Draco Malfoy and his obese cronies, snickering at something one of them said. There also was his archenemy, Marcus Flint, whose buck teeth seemed to peek out more this year than in the previous school years. Across his own table, he saw some friends reading the Daily Prophet, and others to busy with their breakfast to notice that something was in the newspaper. His eyes slowly drifted to the Gryffindor table and he spied Fred and George Weasley, their heads together, obviously planning a nice surprise for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Colin Creevy and his brother were talking about the best lighting for pictures or something, and not far off, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and that other girl from the Gryffindor Quidditch Team were talking about jewelry or boys. Then, he finally spotted the person he had been looking for.

Harry Potter, a fifth year this year, gave out a chuckle as he watched his friends Hermione and Ron bicker and argue as usual. Cedric looked at him and saw that he seemed different. How, he didn't know. Maybe it was because he had actually _tried_ to tame his unruly hair. Or maybe it was because the bags under his had lessened slightly. Cedric smiled to himself, glad that the other previous champion was doing okay. Why was he so worried? Well, it looked as if Harry had suffered even more than Cedric had that night. Harry had to see Cedric tortured, and could do nothing to block out the screams of pain. And then, Harry had told this part to Cedric in person, Harry had to fight Voldemort on his own. Oh, how Cedric wished that things had gone different that night. He wished that _he _could have been the one Voldemort wanted, not that innocent boy, who just wanted to live normally and be happy. He wished that he could take away the fear and the pain that had scarred that beautiful face for life. He wanted to take off the burden that had been on those shoulders for too long, to ease the pain that Harry carefully shielded behind the well-constructed mask he wore. He would do anything for that boy, and the worst part is, he didn't know _why._

Their bickering done, Harry's friends ate their porridge and made small talk, eventually finishing and exiting the Great Hall. Cedric smiled to himself again and quickly finished his own breakfast as the bell rang. He hurried out of the hall, and his day began.

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For Harry, the first day of term blew by. He didn't even notice when Snape attempted to embarrass him in front of the class. Sadly for Snape, there was no homework that he didn't do, and there weren't any potions from a previous class that he didn't brew. As a result, Harry wore an unusual smile as he left the dungeons.

That night in the common room, Harry was looking over his schedule again when he noticed that he didn't have Defense Against the Dark Arts until Thursday. Heaving a sigh of relief, he turned to that night's homework, which was very little.

His questions answered, homework done, and evening still young, Harry looked for a way to entertain himself. He played a round of Exploding Snap with Fred, and then a very short game of Wizard's Chess. Still with nothing to do, Harry retrieved the Marauder's Map and his trusty Invisibility Cloak, and headed out into the darkened castle.

Harry slowly made progress down the Grand Staircase, and into the Entrance Hall. Carefully avoiding the Prefects, passing the great glass hourglasses, Harry was just content with roaming the castle, familiarizing himself once again with every stone, every crevasse, and every detail of the castle he called home.

Coming around a corner on the second floor, Harry's foot slipped on a slick stone, and he flailed for a second before catching hold of waiting arms. In the struggle, however, the cloak had slipped off and the person who had caught him knew he was there.

"Easy killer," a laughing voice whispered in his ear.

Harry didn't need the Marauder's Map or to look around to know whom it was. It was Cedric Diggory, the other champion.

"Heh, thanks for catching me Ced," Harry whispered back, his tone a petrified one.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to turn you in," the older boy replied, attempting to ease the younger one's fear.

Harry blanched. "You aren't?" Harry asked, his tone going from sheer terror to curious in a split second. "Why?"

"After what happened last year, the least I can do for you is save you a few house points."

"Gee, thanks."

"Hey, no problem," Cedric said casually. "Now, let's get you back up to your tower."

They set out, the two of them, Harry a tad nervous with his invisibility cloak and map in his hands, and Cedric, completely oblivious to the awkwardness Harry was feeling.

"Sooo…"Cedric asked. "Where'd you get the cloak. Here I am, minding my own business, when you pop out of nowhere and fall into my arms like some creepy fairytale."

"It was a gift from my father…before he died," Harry replied, looking down.

"Oh, sorry," Cedric said, ashamed.

"Don't be. You couldn't help his being killed by Voldemort," Harry said to see the boy's reaction.

Cedric didn't shiver, or shudder, or show any sign when Harry said the name, he just kept on walking.

They bypassed a few floors in silence, before finally reaching the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Well, here we are," Cedric said.

"Yeah," Harry said, as Cedric turned to leave. Harry touched his arm lightly to stop him. "Ced, thanks for not turning me in," Harry said shyly.

Cedric was unsure of what to do. He leaned closer to Harry, so close that his lips were almost touching the shorter boy's forehead. "Yeah, no problem," and having second thoughts, he turned around fled.

Harry was dumbfounded at what had just happened. As if in a trance, he gave the disgruntled Fat Lady the password and went to bed, thinking about what Cedric has just done, and what he had intended to do.

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OoO...It almost happened. Hope you liked the chapter! By the way, the voting now stands at: Yes, kill Ced-0 No, keep him alive-2. Don't forget to vote! Ty,

Fluffy


	5. Defense Against the Dark Arts Class

Before you read this, my friends and fans alike, I must make a special apology to IcePrincess87. I had promised that Cedric and Harry could have their first kiss in this chapter, but after I had gotten to the end of Harry's first day, the length had grown outrageous, and I thought that you would prefer that I save you hours of reading. My sincerest apologies to all of my fans, and I hope you can forgive me for this set back. But, I solemnly swear that (I am up to no good. Lol! Anyway,) they will have the kiss in the next chapter. I'm sorry for the wait, I really am, and hopefully it will work out.

Fluffy

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Rating: Pg [Nothing really happens in this chapter. It was one of those filler chapters, but, I have to admit, the beginning is pretty cool.

Disclaimer: Your reading this for free, and on the computer. HELLO! Obviously I do not own Harry Potter.

P.S. Sorry, IcePrincess87!

Harry was sitting on the edge of a cliff, staring out into the most beautiful landscape he had ever seen. A large flowing river laced lazily across the land, as amazing evergreens lined its shores. Incredible behemoths of mountains rose mightily out of the ground, stretching and craning their stone arms further and further to the sky.

An eagle, it's feathers stained a magnificent gold that seemed to shine in the setting sun, flew off and gave a triumphant yell of delight as it wheeled through the purple sky. The clouds that the bird flew with were colored with vibrant hues, bright purples, oranges, and reds. The setting sun was like a gargantuan ball of pure light, symbolizing all the things that were good. It slowly shifted downward, vanishing behind the horizon as it moved on to shed it's glorious light upon other parts of the world.

Harry sat there, content with just surveying the majestic scene before him. Every so often, a bird would fly overhead and screech it's greetings, or a small chipmunk would crawl into his lap and curl up, it's small frame calm and quiet in the deafening silence that surrounded the boy.

As the last miniscule sliver of light vanished behind the curtain of land, and the sky slowly darkened until the stars emerged, their twinkling light winking friendly at Harry, chaos began.

The cliff and scene before him disappeared in an instant, leaving him in complete darkness. Suddenly, Voldemort's face popped up in front of him, enlarged to the size classified as _massive._ His serpentine features whispered insults in his ear in a trance like voice that almost made Harry fall asleep. As his eyelids drooped lower, Harry pinched himself to stay awake. For some reason, falling asleep would only worsen the pain, deepen the horror, and Harry forced himself back from the grasp of unconsciousness.

"No…" he whispered to himself. "I will not give in…"

Voldemort emitted a fiendish laugh.

"No…" Harry whispered again.

"But you want to, Harry," Voldemort taunted.

"No…"

"Isn't it easy to give in, to just let someone else take control for a while?"

"No…"

"Come on, it would be easy, just close your eyes, let your mind drift among the clouds…"

"No…" Harry's denial rose in volume.

"But you must, you must give in…" Voldemort cajoled, his voice caressing Harry's ear, enticing the arms of sleep to reach for him again.

"NO!" Harry yelled, and suddenly, the face vanished, and Harry was left in complete darkness. That is, except for…a light…in the distance. How he could tell it was in the distance, he didn't know. But it was a pinprick of light, steadily growing, until it had engulfed his field of vision. It grew and it grew, enveloping him in safety, in comfort, in consolation. A sweet sound arose to his ears, a sound that he had only heard two times in his life. _Phoenix song._ It enveloped him, swept him away in it's lovely melody. Another sound jerked him back to awareness. A whisper, just as heavenly as the song, said,

"Harry," and Harry awoke.

The blankets were wrapped around Harry's midsection painfully tight, and as he wrestled himself out of them, Ron had awoken in the bed next to him. Except, Ron wore an odd expression on his face, and he had large bags under his eyes.

"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asked cautiously.

"I'd ask you the same thing, if you didn't get a wink of sleep last night because your friend was moaning and tossing and turning all night!" Ron said grumpily.

Harry looked down, ashamed. "Did I really make that much noise?" he asked.

"Yeah, you did," Seamus said matter-of-factly, sitting upright in his own bed across the room.

"Oh…" Harry replied.

The group got up and dressed in silence, and they walked down to the common room in a disorderly fashion. There, everyone but Harry and Ron, who had been tackled by Hermione, dispersed to go to breakfast.

"Oh, Harry, you got a note last night," she said breathlessly, and held up a small slip of parchment, waving it in front of his face.

Snatching it away from her, he walked to the other side of the room as Ron explained to the girl what had happened the night before. This is what he read:

_Harry,_

_Last night was rather…interesting, shall we say? If you could meet me outside the Gryffindor Portrait tomorrow night at eleven o'clock, I would be really appreciate it. I guess that I feel that there is something that you need to know, about yourself and me._

_Thanks,_

_Cedric_

The note was written in beautiful script, the penmanship was worth complimenting. Harry loved the way that the g's looped and swiveled, and Cedric's signature was a thing of utmost beauty on it's own. Broken out of his reverie of admiration, Harry wondered what Cedric wanted, and what he planned to accomplish by meeting him. Still, Harry planned to go, and he finally headed down to breakfast with Ron and Hermione.

As he walked down the great hall, Harry found himself glancing constantly back at the note that he fiddled with in his hands. The third time he read the note over again, he noticed that the ink wasn't black…it was _green._

Slightly puzzled by this realization, and why it was so important, Harry entered the Great Hall, Hermione and Ron at his sides.

He ate in silence, listening to his friends bicker as usual. His eyes traveled around the great dining hall, noticing no difference in the usual hubbub of the morning. Friends talked animatedly to each other, the Slytherins sulked as always, their heads down as if deep in thought. Harry privately wondered if anything ran through their heads at all. There were the happy Ravenclaws, who buzzed happily with activity as they finished any homework that was left undone. His fellow Gryffindors made there own bustle at his own table, and his eyes traveled up to the head table, where once again he found Hagrid's seat empty, and the disgustingly pink Professor Umbridge at the end. His head traveled slowly to the Hufflepuff table, and he scanned the black and yellow robes for any signs of those gray eyes that he knew so well, that sandy-brown hair that was always neatly combed. He searched the table four times, yet found no trace of the older boy who had sent him the note the night before.

His porridge bowl empty, and the bell ringing pleasantly in his ears, Harry picked up his school bag and made his way up to his first class of the day. Defense Against the Dark Arts. He shivered.

Line

Harry, Ron and Hermione cautiously made his way into the classroom that he had seen filled with a variety of things. His first year, Professor Quirrell had filled it with practical dark creatures and other various but needed items. His second year, the room held way too many portraits of a certain Gilderoy Lockhart, who was a fraud through and through. Then, his third year, the room was decorated with many different creatures including a wardrobe containing a boggart, a large fish tank holding a grindylow who loved to glue his face to the wall and stare out at the students, and even a lantern with a captured fairy who glowed with a lovely light. Last year, the most interesting of all, Mad-eye Moody had filled it with all sorts of Dark Detectors, he had called them. There was the Foe Glass, which supposedly showed him when his enemies were behind him, (How that would help him, Harry didn't know), various sneakoscopes, and a trunk with seven locks that when you used a different key to open it, it held different objects each time. Now, the room was filled with too much pink. There were pink doilies on every desk, and all the photos of famous Ministry wizards were bordered with pink frames. Professor Umbridge had gone so far as to magic every brick in the room a pastel pink. Next to him, Hermione made a strangled gagging noise when she entered the room, obviously as disgusted with what had been done with the room as he was.

"Children," a sickly sweet voice rang out from the office. "Please take your seats, I will be with you in a moment."

The class obeyed, and immediately loud conversation broke out. For a full five minutes this went on, until the plump Professor Umbridge appeared in the doorway from her office. Up close, Harry was able to study her better, and what he discovered didn't appeal to him at all. She wore yet another pink robe, with a small brae on her head, attempting to cover her cinnamon brown curls. She was shorter than she had appeared when she had made her speech at the opening feast. Even Hermione almost stood a head taller than the new Professor did.

"Oh, you can put your wands away, children. You won't be needing them for this class," Umbridge trilled. "Now, if you wouldn't mind opening your textbooks page 2 and read the first chapter on defensive magical theory."

Hermione's hand shot up in the air.

"Yes…um, Miss Granger is it? I thought my instructions were clear." Umbridge said.

"They were quite clear, Professor, crystal clear in fact. But, you see, I've already read chapter one," Hermione explained.

Obviously thrown off track, Umbridge said, "Then you can start on chapter two."

"I've read chapter two also," Hermione answered immediately.

Astounded, Umbridge replied, "A-a-and chapter three?"

"Yes, in fact, I've read the whole book, three times."

"Then…then you may start the homework, which is a roll of parchment describing and summarizing chapter one."

"Oh," Hermione said, a little disheartened that she had not been able to impress this particular teacher with over achievement.

And so the class was wasted, as Harry liked to think of it, on reading, and nothing else. For two complete hours, the class read and summarized the first two chapters their textbooks.

Line

"Remind me to kill the author of this book when I finally meet him," Ron muttered as the trio exited the pink room of doom.

"I know, it was a complete waste of my time. I could have gotten my Arithmancy homework done in the time that I had to summarize that crap," Harry and Ron stared in astonishment at what Hermione had just said. Hermione had never insulted a teacher like that, with the exception of Professor Trelawny two years ago. "What? Don't tell me you actually _liked_ her!" Hermione spat out the line.

Harry and Ron immediately snapped out of there trances and they both put up there own denials simultaneously.

"Good. You almost had me fooled for a moment there," she said, and headed off to her next class.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, shrugged, and followed suit.

Line

For Harry, the day went by in a painfully sluggish motion. At the end of the day, he had finished his homework and fell into bed, completely void of energy. Soon, he had fallen into deep, dreamless sleep, that kept all nightmares at bay.

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Yes, this chapter was slow, and I am sorry for that too. Don't forget to vote if you haven't, check my profile for anymore good stories, and please Review! The poll so far is three to one, with a living Ced in the lead. R&R people, that's all I ask.


	6. The Room of Requirement

GOOD MORNING ENGLAND!!! Wow, that was random to the max! Anywho, Fluffy here, with a new, shorter chapter. Thank you to all my reviewers, you mean the world to me. A little suggestion to all new reviewers/fans, please vote. So far, only five people have voted, and a little more would be extremely satisfying. By the way, this chapter is dedicated to IcePrincess87. You'll know why at the end of the chapter. Thank you,

Fluffy

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Rating: Completely PG 

Disclaimer: Puhhlease think. I'm writing for _fun!_

Hope you like this latest installment in: MY FAITHFUL LULLABY!

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Harry awoke the next day, Friday, to find the sun shining happily through the window at the side of his bed. It seemed to greet him warmly, and this lifted his spirits immediately. He dressed with a smile on, and humming a nameless tune, he hopped and skipped downstairs and into the common room. 

Hermione met him there, and immediately asked, "What's got you in a good mood?"

"Oh, I don't know," he said playfully, as he skipped down the hall to the portrait.

Hermione and Ron, who had finally made it down to the common room in one piece, just stared after him in an odd sort of way. They hadn't seen him this happy in…well, they hadn't seen him happy since his first day at Hogwarts.

Harry skipped down the Grand Staircase, taking the stairs two at a time, before finally landing at the bottom and composing himself. With a level head, he walked into the Great Hall and joyously fixed himself a large plate of waffles, blueberries, and orange juice. Hermione and Ron followed him with extremely confused expressions, and began to fill their own plates with food.

Harry again began scanning the crowd for any signs for Cedric. His green eyes studied every face at the Hufflepuff table four times before he disappointedly came to the conclusion that Cedric was not there. This realization, however, was not enough to dampen his spirits, and after breakfast he left the hall wearing a large grin on his face.

For Harry, the day flew by. Potions went by as if his life was on fast-forward, and Herbology was actually somewhat fun. In Charms, he had a great barrel of laughs when Seamus managed to blow up when they were doing review on the Banishing charm, and his Transfiguration homework he got done in a matter of minutes during one of his free periods. He didn't even object when that Umbridge woman had made them read chapter three and summarize it again.

Soon, the classes were done, and Harry and his friends found themselves in the Great Hall eating a stuffed turkey for dinner. As he had done during breakfast and lunch that day, Harry scanned the Hufflepuff table for signs of the boy he was supposed to meet that night. His eyes drifted from the head table, where once again Hagrid's chair was empty, down past the annoying Ernie MacMillan and to the other end of the table. Then, staring out of the crowd right at him, an astonishing pair of gray eyes distinguished themselves by staring back into Harry's emerald green irises. Harry's breath caught in his throat and he fought to breathe. Ron clapped him on the back, noticing the problem, but Harry had been able to maintain contact with the foreign pair of eyes through the ordeal. Cedric's hand moved on the table below, and he lifted a small origami bird to his lips. Slowly, he blew the bird into the air, where it flapped its wings ferociously to get to the other side of the room and land in front of Harry's plate. Finally released from the Hufflepuff's gaze, Harry looked down and picked up the paper bird. It was perfectly folded, and upon one wing read the words, _Open me._ Slightly bewildered, Harry complied, delicately unfolding the piece of art to reveal a full sized piece of parchment, that held a note in forest-green ink. This is what he read:

_Harry,_

_Remember, meet me outside the Gryffindor portrait at 10:00 tonight. And bring that invisibility cloak of yours._

_Cedric Diggory_

Harry looked back up to find Cedric and give him some motion of confirmation, but when he did, the gray eyes that had spoken to him so definitely weren't there. He turned his head to the gargantuan doors that marked the entrance to the Great Hall and saw yellow and black robes whip out of sight behind them. Oh well, he would just have to wait until tonight.

* * *

In the common room, Harry gazed into the crackling fire, his eyes drinking in the multicolored flames. The fire spurted out a shower of sparks that slowly floated upward, before vanishing into thin air, and falling back to the ground as mere ashes. Two black spots appeared in front of him in the flames, looking like snake eyes among the dancing colors. Slowly, a serpentine face appeared and Harry found himself staring into the flickering face of Voldemort. The fire hissed, and Voldemort whispered, 

"Harry, jump in, you know you want to."

"No," Harry whispered in a weak reply.

"But Cedric would want you to," Voldemort pouted. "Cedric's here, I have him."

"No you don't, you liar," Harry whispered, his had coming to his mouth as his eyes took on a look of complete astonishment.

"Harry? Harry wake up!" a voice coaxed him out of the clutches of sleep, and Harry's eyes fluttered open to stare into the face of George Weasley.

"Hunh?" was Harry's sleepy reply.

George chuckled. "You fell asleep. And Ced's waiting for you outside the portrait."

"Cedric!" Harry cried as he stood up suddenly, knocking George off his feet.

At a sprint, Harry ran up and grabbed his invisibility cloak and ran back down to exit through the portrait hole, to crash right into Cedric's sturdy chest.

"Calm down killer," the older boy laughed as he helped Harry to his feet.

"Sorry, I'm not late, am I?" he asked as he looked up into those beautiful gray eyes.

"Only fifteen minutes. I asked George to go and track you down."

"Sorry, I fell asleep and had a night-," Harry tried to stop himself, but the damage was done.

Cedric looked at him sternly. "Nightmares still, Harry? I stopped having them days ago."

Harry looked down, deeply ashamed that he couldn't get rid of these nuisances.

"Oh well, I think after tonight, those will be taken care of."

Harry looked back up at him, relief showing in every detail of his face. "Really?" he whispered.

"Oh yeah, now come on," and Cedric towed the younger boy down the hall to the grand staircase. "So, how was your day?" he asked.

"Great," Harry replied. "Especially dinner."

Cedric blushed at this. "I just needed to make sure you remembered."

"How could I forget something like that?" Harry asked him.

Cedric blanched. "I didn't- I mean- I-."

Harry interrupted, "I'm glad you did anyway." This made Cedric blush deeper.

They kept up with this kind of small talk until they came to a door that Harry had never seen before. Cedric didn't hesitate, and he towed Harry inside. They found themselves in a semi-lit room lined with floating candles far above their heads. Beautiful portraits lined the walls, taking the place of the absent windows. A roaring fire was going in the marble hearth, and a forest green couch set was displayed around it.

"Do you like it?" Cedric asked behind him.

Harry was speechless.

"I thought you would. Welcome, Harry, to the Room of Requirement."

"The what?" Harry asked.

"The Room of Requirement, or as the house elves call it, the Come-and-Go room."

That rang a bell, for Harry often had heard Dobby refer to this topic when he was talking to other house elves.

"So," Harry said, turning to face Cedric. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Well," Cedric said, walking over to him. "Remember last year, with all that stupid tournament stuff?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, in the graveyard that night, I noticed something about me, and about you,"

Harry had absolutely no idea where this was so he just stood there, and wore a blank expression on his face.

_This isn't working. He has absolutely no idea where this is going, _Cedric thought to himself.

"You see, as I watched you get tied up to that tombstone, to see that much pain and fear pour from you, I noticed something. I noticed that I would do anything to keep you safe, anything to stop the fear, the stress, and the expectations that were put upon you when you received that scar. I would do anything to help you, to be able to show you the way to your destiny." Cedric looked at Harry, his gray eyes drinking in every detail of the younger teen. In three steps, he had closed the short distance between them and said, "I love you." Cedric gently pressed his lips against Harry's, wondering faintly if the younger boy would accept his touch. Harry, though slightly bewildered, leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes and slowly wrapping his arms around his lover's neck. For an instance, for the moment that they made contact, the world stopped turning, and nothing else in the universe mattered except for two boys in Hogwarts castle, making love. The fabric of time disrupted, their lives put on hold, they kissed, neither one daring to break the contact. It felt so right, so heavenly a feeling, Harry and Cedric just wanted to stay in that position for all eternity. The castle could fall, the world could end, and they wouldn't care. As long as they had each other, to fall upon, to comfort, to talk with, they didn't care what happened. They would make it through, and this kiss made all that a guarantee, a confirmation of their new-found love.

Slowly, for lack of breath, Harry was forced to break the moment, and the world began again. The hearth fire began to roar once again, and the candles to flicker and shed their warm light once again. Cedric towed Harry to the couch, where he pulled the younger boy onto his lap. Harry snuggled up to him, and whispered something inaudible in his ear.

"What?" Cedric asked.

"I said," Harry whispered again. "I realized something too."

"Really?" Cedric said, looking at him. "And what would that be, Mr. Potter?"

"I love you too."

Cedric knew this was going to be a great year.

* * *

There you go. Their first encounter, their first kiss, their first meeting in the Room of Requirement. So please R,R&V [Read, Review and Vote

Thanks,

Fluffy


	7. Touble With Malfoy

Hey guys, Fluffy still here. Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, my life has been a little hectic lately. I've been getting home from school at 9:00 every night, and then I had to do homework and stuff, so I've really had no time. Anyway, here's the latest chapter, and I hope you have fun reading it. Oh, and sorry for the name change, the other one was long and boring, so I thought to change it from Emissary of the Exiled Pluto to Cosmic Hostility. It still has something to do with space, so I thought it would be okay. Just search for the title next time you miss it, k? So, my speech being over, I bid you au revoir with these three words: LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!!!

* * *

Rating: PG-13 (There's a mild scene towards the end, but still for all audiences.)

Disclaimer: I know, sad isn't it?

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Harry looked into Cedric's beautiful gray eyes, and gave a wide smile. This night was excellent, a perfect end to a perfect day. He and Cedric were finally together, and Harry finally felt love of this species. Yes, he felt the love of a friend, the love of a godfather, and yes, even the love of an archenemy. (Which, surprisingly, isn't much) But this was different, and this different was indescribable. He felt wanted, like he was finally part of this world. Someone meant something more to him than a friend. Friends had their limits, only able to understand certain things, only able to explain certain topics to him. But now, now everything was different. He had someone he could talk to no matter what, someone who could explain everything to him, someone he could explain everything to. And Cedric wouldn't care. Well, yes he would care, but Cedric wouldn't voice his opinion like Ron or Hermione would. Cedric would help him through anything that Harry had a problem with. And, unlike Ron and Hermione, Cedric would always be there, whether or not he had some test to study for, or some other crazed reason. Best of all, Cedric could help him become a better wizard, a better student.

Harry suddenly became horrified with himself. The first three minutes he had a boyfriend, all he could think about was how to use him. He quickly banished these thoughts from his mind, and silently vowed never to think of them again.

A voice broke him from his reverie. "Harry, are you okay with this?" Cedric asked.

Harry looked up at him from his seat on the older boy's lap. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you know people these days. They like to make fun of us those of us that are different, thinking that we're infected or something."

"And why does it matter what they think? As long as we have each other, no one else matters, right?"

Cedric seemed to think on this. "Yeah, you're right. But, do you think we should Hogwarts about us?"

"Well, I think Hogwarts already knows," Harry said, smiling as he gestured to the room around him. "Now the people _inside_ Hogwarts, that's a different matter."

Cedric nudged him, a grin forming on his face. "Mr. Potter, are you being a smart aleck to your elder?" he asked mockingly.

"You bet, Mr. Diggory," Harry said back in the same mocking tone.

"Anyway, do you think we should tell?" Cedric asked seriously.

"Naah," Harry said. "They don't need to know, and you're right. They probably wouldn't take us the right way."

"But we will tell our friends, right? I'll tell Cho, and you'll tell your two partners in crime?" Cedric said slyly.

"Of course, and they are not my partners in crime," Harry protested as he nudged his lover.

"Really, you give the impression that you're always up to something," Cedric reasoned.

"We do not! Do we?" Harry asked, first astonished, then inquiring.

"Before I knew you, yeah," Cedric said. Harry yawned, and Cedric looked at his watch. It read 11:30. "Harry, we've been here for an hour and a half. I think you should get to bed."

"And you worry too much. Sometimes you're just as bad as Hermione," Harry whispered, laying his head wearily against Cedric's shoulder.

Cedric smiled, and a light sigh came from Harry. Cedric's lover had fallen asleep, and he slept peacefully, better than he had in a while. Cedric picked up the younger boy, cradling Harry's significantly smaller form in his well-toned arms. He headed toward the door, and skillfully opened it without dropping Harry. Cedric emerged to the Grand Staircase, and carried the younger wizard up the two flights of stairs without breaking a sweat. Thanking all the training he went through during the summer, he made his way to the portrait hole of Gryffindor Tower, and woke the sleeping Harry.

"Hunh?" Harry mumbled as his eyes fluttered open. "Where am I?" he asked as he snuggled up to Cedric's chest.

"Relax, silly. You're in Gryffindor Tower. I would have carried you to bed, but I don't know your password."

Grumbling something about unnecessary security, Harry slowly got to his feet. He told the password to an equally disgruntled Fat Lady, who slowly opened for him. He was about to step into the portrait hole, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Before he knew what was happening, Cedric had pulled him into a tight embrace, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Tomorrow, in the library, at lunch?" the older boy asked. Harry nodded sleepily. "K, I'll pick you up at the entrance to the Great Hall when you've eaten, and, Harry? I love you."

"'Love you too, Ced," Harry mumbled as he broke the embrace to enter the Gryffindor common room. Cedric gave him one last kiss, and made his way down to the kitchens, to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room.

Harry fell into bed without getting changed, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, a smile played upon his face as he dreamed.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, Ron and Hermione were begging and nagging him to tell them what had happened with Cedric the night before. Harry put up a stubborn defense, saying that what had happened was between Cedric and him _only._ Little did they know that he had every intention of telling them that night in the common room. After breakfast, the morning passed without a flaw, and Harry made it through all of his classes in one piece. Soon, the bell rang for lunch, and Harry sprinted out of the Transfiguration classroom and down the Grand Staircase to the Great Hall. There, he shoveled down his meal in record time, and sprinted to the gargantuan doors that marked the way to the Entrance Hall. As soon as he had taken one step out the doors, he felt strong hands grab his shoulders, pull him roughly to the side and drag him into the shadows.

"So, Potter," a voice sneered. "How was your summer? Did you like not having me there to make your life completely miserable?"

"Actually, Malfoy, my life is pretty miserable without you there to make it worse," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, you think you're so good, now don't you?" Malfoy asked. "Every teacher's pet, Dumbledore's favorite, I bet you think your life is perfect, don't you?"

Harry, was getting angry at this interrogation, and he just kept silent.

"Punch him, Crabbe."

Harry felt something rather large ram into his stomach with the force of a train, and he gasped in pain. He heard the sickening crack of a bone, and he knew that he had broken a rib.

"Music to my ears," Malfoy sneered again.

Pain shot through Harry's torso as Crabbe and Goyle shook him relentlessly. However hard they yanked and pulled him, he did not whimper pathetically, he did not scream or yell, he did not give Malfoy the pleasure of hearing him in pain. Instead, he kept completely silent, and tried to think about other things instead of the constant unbearable pain that shot through his torn form.

"Hey!" someone yelled. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!"

To Harry, the voice felt like a wave of soothing water washing over him, and he let his body relax and go limp in relief. Crabbe and Goyle dropped him, and Harry felt a husky breath in his ear as he lay there in a painful position on the ground.

"You got lucky this time, Potter, but next time…Oh you've got it coming," Malfoy whispered, and then he himself fled the scene.

"Harry? Are you okay?" someone asked, bending over him.

Harry could only groan in pain. "I've got to go get Madame Pomfrey. Don't move."

"Diggory! What happened here?" a screeching voice said to the person over Harry.

"Three goons were beating on poor Harry here. I need Madame Pomfrey now, he's got it really bad, Professor McGonagall," Harry finally realized that it was Cedric that was standing over him.

"Okay, Diggory, go get Pomfrey. I'll watch over Potter here," McGonagall said, her voice stricken.

Cedric hesitated, Harry could feel the anxiety pour off his skin. "Go," Harry whispered, as he lay crumpled on the floor. "I'll be fine."

Cedric didn't wait a millisecond, and soon Harry heard his distant footsteps as he pounded up the Grand Staircase. Professor McGonagall came to his side, her hands fluttering over Harry helplessly. There was nothing she could do, for Harry had already lost consciousness, his face still wearing a pained expression.

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Yes, my wonderful fans, It is a cliffy...and I'M SO SORRY! It just seemed like a good place to stop, so I did. And, I had a really good time writng the beginning of this chapter, I thought that a good cliff hanger would finish it up quite nicely. I'll try and update by next weekend, but I can't promise anything because swimming sectionals are coming up, so you can check back every once in a while. Thanks,

Fluffy


	8. Tales of the Hospital Wing

Hello, Fluffy, insane author and reader extrodinaire at your service. Umm...Well, that personality didn't last very long. Well now that that's over, I want to say I'm sorry. You see, I was grounded from the computer for a week, so I wasn't able to write at all. Yes, I did suffer from author's withdrawal. And let me tell you, it was not nice. So, now that I have a new chapter for all of you fans, let me say thanks for all of you that have stuck with me so far, and that as repayment for my lateness, I have a good chapter in store for you. Don't be daunted by it's length, but it just seemed to stretch on and on this time. So, thanks to all of you, and if you could jus click on the box at the bottom that says review, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Fluffy

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Rating: PG [Trust me, it's going to stay like this for a while still

Disclaimer: Umm...Wow, I'd be soooo rich if I owned the idea. But sadly, here I am typing on a run down computer and semi crappy internet connection. GO FIGURE! Lol, by the way, lol.

P.S. I love you all, my faithful fans, and my newbies, who love slash fiction. Keep on truckin'!

* * *

Harry's eyes fluttered open, his vision still slightly foggy. The last thing that he remembered was himself telling Cedric to go, and Professor McGonagall fluttering over him. Obviously, as he stared up at the hospital wing ceiling, he had been out for several hours. He was in a far bed, near one of the great stained glass windows at the end of the gargantuan room. Madame Pomfrey was in her office presumably, and beside himself, there was no one else in the wing. For all the times he had been here, Harry had never seen the room so desolate, so empty. It now seemed as if it was a gaping maw, or black hole, and whatever it sucked in was never seen again. So decrepit was the room that it sent a shiver down Harry's spine, one that sent small waves of pain through his torso. He looked down, and saw that his entire upper body had been wrapped in starch white bandages. He tried moving parts of his body, his arms were fine, his head and neck were in working order, and even his shoulders were operating with little pain. But when he tried to sit up, his body screamed in protest, making him yelp and lay back down heavily upon the bed. Obviously, the noise had startled someone in Madame Pomfrey's office, and with a crash of what sounded like glass, Madame Pomfrey, Cedric Diggory, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger came out of the room at a run.

Cedric, the most fit, reached Harry first, and with a sigh of relief sat down heavily in the chair. Madame Pomfrey came next, bottle in hand, and started to pour a goblet full of the light blue liquid Harry recognized from previous visits to her domain. Ron and Hermione followed closely, and immediately started to bombard him with questions.

"What happened?" Hermione started, her voice a high pitched squeak.

"Yeah, suddenly we hear you're in the hospital wing with four broken bones!" Ron practically yelled.

Cedric stood up, and to Harry's relief, tried to intervene. "Hey, guys, he just woke up, give him some room, and, Ron? Do him a favor and try not to yell."

"Oh…" they said simultaneously, as they looked down, slightly ashamed.

"So Harry," Cedric continued. "What did happen? All I saw was three people beating on you, and then high-tailing it out of there when I yelled."

Harry thought, a blank expression crossed his face. "I don't know," he said quietly. "The last thing I remember was eating in the Great Hall, and then going out to the Entrance Hall to do something. Then, nothing." He looked up at the other three, trying to read their expressions. Ron was confused, as always, Hermione was deep in thought and Cedric… Cedric was wearing a deeply pained expression, his eyes seemed as if they were continents away. His mouth was torn in a grimace, and eyebrows were knitted in pain.

"You're sure you don't remember anything?" Hermione asked, her voice worry stricken.

"Hermione," Harry said, looking back at her. "It's my own mind. I think that I'd be able to tell if I remembered something or not."

"Well," Cedric said, his voice resigned. "There's nothing we can do about it now. All we have to do is make sure that it doesn't happen again."

"Okay," Ron said. "And, how exactly do we do that?"

"Easy, we have someone with him at all times," Cedric supplied simply.

Harry groaned. "Look, I don't want to become an object of great importance here. All I want to do is to go on normally with my life," he said.

"And if you want to do that," Cedric immediately countered, "One of us has to stay with you so you don't get cornered again."

Harry sulked. He hated feeling like a burden to everybody else, especially to Cedric. Arms crossed, and head down, he sat there as his ribs flawlessly healed, and his friends and lover debated and drew up a schedule between the three of them. Cedric, being two years ahead of them, was only able to watch Harry during lunch. Hermione and Ron took over for all other classes, as well as between periods. Soon the bell rang, and Ron and Hermione had to head off to class. Cedric, on the other hand, had a free period, and was able to stay with the injured and disgruntled Harry. After much bustling by Madame Pomfrey, soon the two were alone in the monstrous hospital wing.

Cedric came to sit by Harry's bed, and he cautiously laid a hand on Harry's back.

"I hate this," Harry said bluntly.

"Hate what?" Cedric asked as if he didn't know the answer.

"You know what I hate!" Harry told him in an enraged whisper.

"I may, I may not. There are just so many things for you to hate about this plan. The fact that I came up with it. The fact that you know someone's got it out for you. The fact that-…"

Harry interrupted with, "I get the point! I hate that I have to be watched all the time, and that the three of you have to waste most of your time on me."

"But love, you know that none of us consider it wasted. We don't mind to donate time to a friend or lover."

Harry blanched. Cedric was right. They wouldn't mind, just as he wouldn't mind doing it for them. Silenced by this comment, Harry just looked down and played with the rim of his bed sheet.

Cedric snuggled closer, his strong arm sliding Harry across the bed towards him a bit. Soon, Cedric had Harry in a tight hug, and he was burying his face in Harry's shoulder. "You scared me," Cedric whispered, his tone terrified. "You scared me so much. I just couldn't let it happen again."

Harry's eyes widened as he felt tears wet his shoulder. He realized with a rush that Cedric could only do so much, could only protect him to a certain extent. He realized that Cedric may be his lover, but he wasn't Superman. "I'm sorry," Harry whispered back, nuzzling into Cedric's chest. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know, I didn't mean to- I'm just-…"

This time Cedric interrupted. "It's okay. Just never go unconscious for a day again, k?"

"A day?" Harry asked. "I don't know. That may be stretching it a bit. I was out for a week once. In-."

"You're first year, I know. You stopped Voldemort then, too."

"Wow, you really know me," Harry said, impressed.

"Of course, I love you. How could I not?"

Harry looked up at him as he sunk into a blissful sleep, the last thing that he saw was Cedric's beautiful face smiling down at him as his eyelids shut, and he knew only black.

* * *

Harry woke, so warm, so comfortable, that all he wanted to do was to fall into sleep's open arms. He groaned softly, then turned to his side, trying to find a more comfortable position so that unconsciousness may better embrace him. However, the ruse did not work, and Harry was forced to wake up, his eyes staring into another cloak, lined with yellow.

Harry heard a giggle above him, and strong hands lifted him up and brought him to his senses. "So you finally decided to wake up?" an amused voice said in the fog of his vision.

"Hunh?" Harry mumbled.

"So, you finally decided to wake up?" the now familiar voice repeated.

"Mmm," Harry replied sleepily.

The hands hugged him tightly, planted a kiss on his lips, and lay him back in the bed. "Good. I almost had to leave for class, and I would hate for you to wake up when I wasn't on duty."

That woke Harry up, and when his vision finally cleared, he was staring into Cedric's beautiful gray eyes. "You're leaving?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. I don't want to face the wrath of that too pink Umbridge woman," Cedric gave a nervous laugh.

"You hate her too?" Harry asked.

"Who doesn't?" Cedric replied immediately. Harry laughed, making Cedric smile. "Have I told you that I love the way you laugh?"

Harry shook his head. "No," he said.

"Well, now you know," Cedric said matter-of-factly. "Well, I hate to abandon you, love, in your time of need, but I have to go to class." Cedric made for the door.

"Wait," Harry said. Cedric halted, school bag still in hand. "Goodbye kiss?" Harry asked, looking up. Cedric smiled.

"I can't believe I forgot," he said. He returned to Harry's bedside, and gave him a deep kiss, his lips gently sliding with Harry's. "There," Cedric said when they were done. "Now, I have to go. Try not to burn anything down, k?" Harry nodded. "Good boy! I'll be back with lunch for you in an hour." He left, closing the door silently.

Harry lay back against the monument of pillows, still slightly tired. Something about Cedric bothered him. When he looked at him, something was different. Harry lay there, tossing occasionally, tormented with the task of trying to figure out what bugged him about his lover. Soon, he was tangled in his blankets, and his pillows were neatly thrown on the floor. Madame Pomfrey came and went, tidying up the mess he had made, only to allow the disarray to return and Harry went through fits of torture. Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks. It had happened to him when Hermione was in the hospital wing during their second year. It had happened when Ron was in this very bed their third year. And he had seen it happen to both Ron and Hermione when he was here during the end of last year. The defining factor of this occasion was the bags under his lover's eyes, and the lethargic, almost clumsy, way that he moved around Harry. Finally coming to terms with what bothered him so, Harry relaxed, his body resuming the limp posture that he was so used to. The bed formed to his form, and once again he was at peace in body and mind.

The door opened, hinges squealing in protest from lack of use, startling Harry out of his reverie. Cedric walked in, skillfully balancing two trays of food and his book bag in his hands as he tried to shut the door. Succeeding finally, he proceeded to make his way down the ward to Harry's bed and lay food on the starving boy's lap.

Harry studied Cedric intently for a fraction of a second, and found the proof he was looking for. There they were, dark as night, happily sitting under his lover's eyes, scarring that gorgeous face. He took a couple of bites of the meal before him, and the clasped his hands together and looked at Cedric.

Cedric looked up from his own meal, noticing something was wrong. "Something the matter, love?" he asked.

"No," Harry said, lightly. "I just have a question for you."

"Okay," Cedric said, slightly confused. "What is it?"

"I have to ask, but…have you been loosing sleep when I've been here?"

Cedric froze, he felt like a deer trapped in headlights. "Yes," he said ashamedly, looking down.

"It's okay, really. I used to do it when Hermione and Ron were here, and vice versa. But, you can't do this to yourself," Harry explained. He knew just how to cure this. "You need to tell yourself that I'll be okay. You need to give yourself permission to relax, and to stop worrying about whether or not I'll make it through the night. You must know that I will never leave you without the best darn fight that I can give, don't you?"

Cedric nodded when he realized every point that his boyfriend was making. And every one of them he knew, he just never thought to do. "Yeah, you're right. I need to stop worrying about you so much. It's just that-."

Harry put a finger up to Cedric's mouth, stopping him from saying more. "I know. You were scared half-silly. It's okay." Harry pulled him into a tight hug, and buried his face in the older boy's shoulder. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too." Cedric replied.

The door opened, and they broke apart, and began to eat their meals again as Ron and Hermione entered and crossed the ward.

"Hey," Harry said as Hermione put her books down and sat on the opposite side of Harry's bed.

"Hello, and when did sleeping beauty wake up?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, about an hour ago. I brought him lunch," Cedric said.

"Oh…Well, did you have a good sleep?"

Harry nodded, his mouth full of food.

"Well, I'll let you know that I've got all of your homework in one of the drawers in you nightstand. Beware, there's quite a stack of it."

Swallowing, Harry looked her. "Thanks," he said sarcastically.

"Don't worry," Cedric said. "I'll help you with it. It must be really easy."

Ron and Hermione looked at him curiously. "What? When you face certain death together and survive, it really brings you close faster than you think," Cedric pointed out, waving a chicken bone at them.

"Okay…." Ron said awkwardly, slightly confused as to why Cedric took such an interest in his friend.

"It's fine with me. Maybe you can find a way to save this hopeless case," Hermione said, gesturing toward Harry as she concentrated on her own food that she had brought.

"Don't worry, I've saved many hopeless cases in my time here," Cedric replied, grinning wolfishly. Harry glared at him.

"Good, I've tried everything."

Harry groaned.

"Come on, Harry! It'll be fun!" Cedric said playfully.

"Whoo hoo," Harry said unenthusiastically.

Soon, Hermione and Ron had left, and Cedric and Harry were left alone. It was another free period for Cedric, and he had insisted to get Harry's homework done. So, quill in hand, they started.

* * *

I know what you're thinking. SLOW! But, it was fluffy...really fluffy...Now that I read it again, it's practically a cloud...A really poofy cloud. Anyway, R&R, peeps, and remember, I love you all.


	9. After the Hospital

This is chapter nine, from Fluffy. This one really doesn't go anywhere...Anywho, to all my fans, did you notice that I've progressed aproximately like 5 days in 9 chapters? yeah, this is really slow. So, just read and review, read and review. Oh, and by the way, about the whole poll thing, I've decided to keep him alive. Cedric and Harry are too cute a couple to break up after just one story... Okay, LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!!

* * *

Rating: PG [It's only been five days!

Disclaimer: Honestly, I can't think of anything funny to say here...This could be disastrous

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After three hours of hard concentration, Harry threw down his quill in exasperation. "Cedric," he whined. "I don't know how you get this. There's no sense in trying to understand what turns a bird into a cup besides the fact that magic makes it happen!"

Cedric smiled. "I know, love, but sometimes you have to try. Here," and Cedric began to explain how certain elements of the bird coincided with certain features of the cup, allowing the transformation to be possible. "The beak and the stomach of the bird resemble the cup's ability to hold a substance," was Cedric's example.

"So, you mean that if you're trying to turn an animal into a cup, it needs to be able to hold something?" Harry asked for clarification.

"If you want the transformation to occur easily and naturally. For instance, if you tried to turn a brick into a cup, it would be much harder. Now, if you put a depression of some sort in the surface of the brick, the transition from brick to cup would be a little easier," Cedric continued to explain. "You give me an example."

"Well," Harry started, thinking as hard as he could. "If you tried to turn a feather into a hat, it would be easier than trying to turn a goblet into a hat because both the feather and the hat help to keep something warm, while the cup doesn't, right?"

Cedric nodded. "Yeah, that's really good. This shows how everything in the world is intertwined and connected, how parts of one thing act like part of something totally different."

The door of the hospital wing opened, and Hermione and Ron came sweeping down the ward, beads of sweat lining their face.

"Wow," Hermione said as she sat down heavily in the chair. "I have so much homework to do." Hefting out large number of scrolls from her bag, she plopped them on Harry's bed. "That's from the last three classes you should have been in today."

Harry groaned.

"It's okay, we still have four hours to do all of it!" Cedric said over enthusiastically, making Harry groan even more.

"So, what have you two been working on?" Hermione asked, slyly picking up the transfiguration essay that Harry and Cedric were working on. "Wow, Cedric. He actually got to the point this time! I'm impressed, Harry!"

"It was nothing," Cedric said, smiling and scratching the back of his head. "Sometimes you need to find the right way to clarify certain topics."

"Well, you hit the spot for Harry. This is the best I've seen him write in all of the essays I've edited for him! Last year, he tried writing an essay for charms and went on and on about how good grilled turkey is!" Hermione said.

Harry blushed a deep crimson. "Hermione!" he said.

Cedric laughed. "That's okay. I was helping a fifth year Hufflepuff last year, and her essay was even worse than that. She had started to go on about thestrals in an astronomy essay!"

Hermione burst out laughing, bringing tears to her eyes as Harry's face began to lose some of its reddish tint.

Ron snatched the essay out of Hermione's hands and began to read it. As his eyes flew across the page, they widened to the size of golf balls. "Wow. Hey, Cedric, if you've saved him so well, could you maybe help me with mine?" he asked.

"Sure, Ron. Get it out, and we can all do ours together right now," Cedric said with a laugh.

The only sounds that could be heard were those of a question being answered, quills scratching on parchment, and the occasional laugh at a comment of Cedric's or Ron's. Several rolls of parchment later, the four had done Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, and Herbology homework, and were beginning to summarize the chapters that they had read in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"I don't see what she's teaching us," Harry said as he grabbed a new roll of parchment from the pile on his bed. "The book just describes the word _defense_ and nothing else."

"She's a hag," Hermione said under her breath so as to keep Madame Pomfrey from hearing. "She's a disgusting hag and I hate her."

Cedric absentmindedly nodded his head. "I agree. All of Hufflepuff hates her too. She teaches you nothing."

"Yeah, and the way she tries to act like she's always your friend gets on my nerves a lot," Ron said.

"Now, I'd love to know what you guys are talking about, but I've only had her once, so I don't! Isn't that great?" Harry said.

This comment received numerous glares from around his bed, and he was only saved from the patristic glances when Hermione glanced down at her watch and noticed that it was already 9:30.

"Well, it's getting late. Ron and I had better go back to the common room. We'll finish up there," she said as she began to pack up her stuff.

"Okay," Harry said lightly, knowing that this was an opportunity to spend some time with his boyfriend.

"Come on, Ron," she said as she towed him from the back of his robes toward the doors of the hospital wing.

"'Bye, Harry," was all Ron was able to manage before the great doors closed and Harry and Cedric were alone.

"Wow, you have great friends," Cedric said as he stared at the door that they had made their exit through.

"Yeah, they always stick by me. They're almost as good as you," Harry replied, making Cedric blush.

Madame Pomfrey came out of her office, and walked down to Harry's bed. "Well, Mr. Potter. Seeing that you no longer need my care, you can go. Just try not to walk in any dark corridors between today and next week?" she said as she tidied up a bit. She handed him fresh clothes, and pulled the screen so that he could get dressed.

After he had changed, he and Cedric said thanks to Madame Pomfrey, and towing their school bags they followed the way Ron and Hermione had used to exit the wing. Outside in the corridor, Cedric offered to walk Harry back to Gryffindor Tower. Knowing that he had no other choice, Harry excepted, and hand in hand they set off into the dark castle.

"So," Cedric asked. "What's your favorite color?"

"Umm…Green. Yours?" Harry replied.

"Yellow," Cedric answered. "Favorite song?"

"Song?" Harry clarified. "I don't have one," he answered, looking down.

"You don't have a favorite song?" Cedric said, unbelieving.

"Well, when you have to spend your summer with the Dursley's, you don't really get exposed to any music at all."

"Oh. That's the muggle family you live with?"

"Yeah, and they treat me like an ungrateful slave."

"I'm sorry…. Maybe you could spend this summer with me?" Cedric ventured.

Harry's face brightened as he looked up. "Really? With you? You mean it?" Cedric nodded. "Yes, I would love to! It would be great!" Harry said, laughing.

"Great. I'll just have to notify my parents. My dad is really good at disguising himself as a muggle. He's been doing it for years."

"That's great!" Harry said enthusiastically.

"Good. I'm glad it makes you happy. It will give you something you look forward to as you struggle through transfiguration essays and potions homework."

Harry shoved him playfully. "Not funny," he said through giggles.

"Really, is that why you're laughing?"

This made Harry giggle even more, and soon his sides hurt from the effort. He clutched them as he subconsciously ran into his boyfriend. Strong arms caught him, and Cedric said, "Easy, killer."

Something about those words rang a distant bell, and Harry's laughter stopped abruptly. Regaining his balance, he looked around, and found that he and Cedric had stopped at the same second floor corner that they had the second night of term.

"Cedric?" he said in a bewildered tone as he scanned the area and searched for his boyfriend's hand at the same time.

"Something wrong, love?" Cedric's soothing voice came from the darkness to Harry's right as Cedric intertwined hands with Harry.

"Did you notice that we're in the same spot that night we met, about a week ago?" Harry asked.

"Why, indeed we are love. What a coincidence," Cedric said, also looking around.

Simultaneously, both boys started to giggle, and soon they were both rocking with silent laughter. Neither of them knew what was so funny, nor did they know why they were laughing so hard. But there they were, gasping for air and leaning against the walls in the darkened corridor. Soon, they had both recovered, and in a sudden, fluid movement, Cedric once again swept Harry up in his muscular arms, and proceeded to find and ascend the Grand Staircase.

Harry snuggled closer to Cedric's chest as a cold draft blew through the tower. He could faintly hear Cedric's heartbeat, steady, gentle, and always there. Just like Cedric. Harry looked up at his lover, and Cedric looked down at him and smiled. Harry was lost in those beautiful gray eyes, that endless ocean of incredible shades and hues. He just wanted to lay there, in Cedric's comforting embrace, for eternity and stare into the gray diamonds, those pulsing gleams in the darkness.

"Love, we're here," a voice said from a very long ways away.

"Harry, we're at the common room. Stand up," the voice goaded.

Finally, Harry found his body again, and slowly stood up as Cedric lowered him to the ground. "We're here already?" he asked. "Funny, I don't ever remember getting here."

"Love, you fell asleep again," Cedric explained.

"I did?" Harry asked.

Cedric chuckled. "Yes, you did, silly. Now go on into bed. I really don't want to face Professor McGonagall's wrath for not getting you to bed on time."

"Oh, fine. Goodbye kiss?" Harry asked hopefully, looking up.

"Every time," Cedric replied, and pulled Harry into a tight hug, pressing his lips gently against the younger boy's.

Cedric's lips seemed to flow seamlessly with Harry's, more of a caress than a kiss. Harry tentatively wrapped his arms around the Hufflepuff's neck, clinging to him like a koala cub. Cedric in turn encircled Harry's significantly smaller form with his arms, bringing Harry closer. The kiss deepened, and Harry closed his eyes slowly, forfeiting all of his senses over to this boundless feeling, this beautiful sensation.

It was with this that Harry finally realized that this is what love was. This devotion, this feeling, was _love_. He knew that he would do anything for Cedric, anything at all. He would throw himself at the killing curse to save his one true love, he would pay, buy, believe _anything_ just to stay by his boyfriend, the only one who truly understood him, through and through.

Cedric brook the kiss this time, gasping for air as he looked down at Harry. "Off to bed with you, love," he said breathlessly.

His face saddening instantly, Harry unwound his hands from Cedric's neck and solemnly began to turn for the portrait hole.

Cedric reached out a hand and pulled him back gently, hugging him tightly once more. "Tomorrow night, eleven o'clock, Room of Requirement?" he asked in a whisper, his breath tickling Harry's ear.

Harry giggled and pulled away. "How about ten?" he asked slyly.

Cedric grinned ear to ear. "It's a date!" he proclaimed in another whisper.

Harry got up on tiptoe and pecked the older boy on the cheek. "Love you," he whispered.

"Love you too, love. Now, off to bed with your pretty head."

Harry obeyed, finally, and entered the common room through the portrait hole. Unusually, he found it empty. The fire crackled forlornly in its place, occasionally sending up sparks that flew and tried to reach for the blackness that marked freedom. Brushing the awkward feeling off with a shrug of his shoulders, Harry went to bed, getting changed in complete darkness.

* * *

That was really long...anyway, R&R people, fans, and all aliens...R&R


	10. The First to Discover

Well, here I am, my next chapter here. This is a longer one, but, for all you fans out there, it's one that a very significant thing is accomplished. I have to say, this isn't the best one I've written, but I think it will suffice. It's really hard when you get down toward the bottom section. So, I hope you read, review and Enjoy!

Fluffy

* * *

Rating: PG [La, la la!

Disclaimer: This has taken a lot of time. It would have taken longer had I had to publish it, and if I could.

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

* * *

For Harry, the day flew by. But it was a happy flight, the day filled with impressed teachers and lots of laughs with his friends. Harry thought he had never been happier in his life. That is, except for when he was with Cedric. But, he wouldn't describe how he felt with Cedric as _happy_ exactly. It was more of an utter bliss. Bliss that he lost all of his senses to, one that was sweet, sensational, and enjoyable all at the same time. He argued with himself for quite sometime on this subject, often losing himself in his thoughts, as they normally drowned out normal conversation. The problem was, there were no words that could describe how he felt about Cedric. No single sentence, no phrase, no paragraph was in existence that could describe the way he forfeited his senses around Cedric, let himself be controlled by this new instinct, this new sensation. _Was it happiness, though?_ one side of him asked. _Would you call it happy?_ If there had to be a word, that would hardly describe it, Harry agreed. But it was so far from the truth. No, it wasn't. It was dead on. But it's so _far_, he reasoned with himself.

"HARRY!" Ron bellowed from beside him.

Harry jumped about forty feet in the air, and was surprised that he didn't hit his head on the common room ceiling. "What did you do that for?" he said.

"Well, after you didn't answer the four times I asked you, I thought I might wake you up from la la land or whatever place you were in," Ron explained.

"Oh…what time is it?" Harry asked.

"Only 5:00," Ron replied simply. "Why, got a date tonight?" he asked slyly.

"None of your business!" Harry said, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Ouch! You elbow hard," he whined in response.

"Oh calm down you sissy!" Harry hissed back. "Now, what did you want to know?"

"Are you going to the next Hogsmeade visit?"

"Yeah! When is it?"

"The weekend before Halloween."

Hermione came between them. "Are we going down to dinner then?" she asked.

Harry's stomach rumbled with a thunderstorm of agreement. He looked at her. "I guess we are," he said.

They slowly proceeded to make their way through the common room and portrait hole, and down the Grand Staircase and to the Great Hall.

"So," Hermione asked. "How's Cedric?"

Harry blushed involuntarily and looked down. "He's...fine," he squeaked shyly.

"That's good. I just wondered why he had taken such an interest in you all of a sudden."

"Well, you know," Harry said. "After facing Voldemort together, you rethink who your friends are."

"Oh…" Hermione trailed off thoughtfully.

Ron was talking extremely loudly to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, and as they took their seats at the Gryffindor table, he ignored Harry and Hermione completely. So, left to their own devices, Harry and Hermione talked about a variety of things. Different spells, classes, teachers, to Honeydukes candy and the Shrieking Shack. In the end though, they both came to the topic of a fellow wizard: Mr. Cedric Diggory.

Harry was able to maintain a constant face color in this instance, and was almost able to control his voice from sounding giddy and happy when they covered this topic.

"So, why _exactly_ is he helping you with your homework and spending every free period he has with you in the hospital wing?" Hermione asked with an expression that said she knew the answer, but was asking the question just to see if you did or not.

"He's just worried, that's all," Harry said uneasily. He felt as if Hermione was prying, but she never did that. _Ever._

"Harry," she said. "I really don't mean to pry, but it's just weird to see him hanging around you all the time for no reason at all."

"Well, I told you didn't I? He's just worried."

"I was worried too. But I don't spend every waking moment with you, do I?"

"Well, maybe you should!" Harry said hotly, his temper rising. "Maybe you should pay a little more attention to me! Honestly, I'm glad that Cedric is doing this. I makes me feel _good_ about myself!"

"Harry-."

"No Hermione," and with that, Harry left a stricken Hermione that looked as if she had been stabbed multiple times.

Line

Cedric had been eating at the Hufflepuff table, watching his young lover out of the corner of his eye. His concern had risen when Harry had risen from the table with a furious expression on his face. He looked at Hermione and tried to get her attention, but she was staring blankly down at her food and his attempt failed. He stood up, grabbed his schoolbag, and followed Harry with every intention of finding out what was wrong.

Cedric's muscled legs carried him down the Great Hall and through the massive doors at an unmatched pace, despite the heavy load that he was burdened with. He met up with Harry as he tried to cross the Entrance Hall to the Grand Staircase, lightly touching him on his shoulder.

Harry turned, expecting it to be Hermione again. He opened his mouth to emit a furious comment, and then closed it slowly when he saw that it was Cedric.

"Hey," Cedric said, draping his arm around the younger teen. "What's wrong, love?"

"Well, Hermione was prying. She wanted to know why you were always hanging around me in the hospital wing, and I didn't feel ready to tell her yet…" Harry trailed off weakly, his voice vanishing into the empty atmosphere.

"Harry," Cedric said. "Harry, do you ever think you'll be ready to tell anyone? And trust me, telling girls will be easier than telling guys. First, girls have that kind of intuition, they can detect that kind of stuff. Second, they are easier around us than they are around them. Why, I have no idea. But they just are. So, you really should be afraid of telling Ron, not Hermione."

"Cedric? Cedric, it's worse than that."

"Really?" Cedric said. "How could it be worse."

"I…I think I hurt her."

"Now why would you do that?"

"I-I didn't mean to!" Harry sobbed into Cedric's shoulder. "I was-was just frustrated, and-and worried, and-and…" Harry blubbered on, until Cedric cut in.

"Calm down, love," he coaxed gently, patting Harry on the back. He slowly moved the two of them into the shadows of the Entrance Hall, as more students started to trickle out of the Great Hall. "Now, what do you think we should do about this?"

"I-I don't kn-know," Harry sobbed, the tears flowing freely now.

"Well, how about we go say sorry to Hermione? She looked a little upset when you left on her," Cedric reasoned. He looked out over the crowd, his height positioning him well above other heads. "There she is. Come on," he said as he towed Harry toward her. He made sure that his insecure boyfriend never left the safety of his arms, and held him in a tight grip as he lithely made his way through the crowd. "Hermione!" he called, trying to hamper the girl's progress.

Hermione turned at the voice, and saw Cedric fighting his way through the crowd. In his arms, she saw a tear stricken Harry, his face red and his eyes puffy.

"Yes?" she said sweetly, carefully keeping from looking at Harry.

"Well…" Cedric said, coming to a halt next to her after he had gently pushed aside one of the annoying Creevey brothers. "Do you think that we could move somewhere else? There are so many people…"

"Sure," Hermione said, and she slowly made her way down the Entrance Hall to look for an empty classroom. Finding one, she slowly opened the door, checking cautiously for any signs of inhabitation. Detecting none, she proceeded to enter the room, Cedric and Harry following closely.

"So…?" Hermione asked, tapping her foot against the flagstone floor. The sound echoed fiercely around the empty room before finally fading into nothing. "I really need to finish an Arithmancy essay tonight, and I really have to say that this isn't helping me."

"Sorry," Cedric said urgently. "But Harry has something to say to you." Slowly, he untangled his arms from around his boyfriend and brought him forward for Hermione to see. Harry was in a right state. His hair was disheveled, his eyes wet with tears, and his cheeks were puffy. Hermione looked at him disdainfully, still hurt from what he had said in the Great Hall minutes before. Harry muttered something quietly, and Hermione's look of disdain turned to one of curiosity.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked gently, drawing closer and putting a hesitant hand on Harry's arm.

"Sorry," Harry muttered again, still looking down at his toes.

Hermione was overwhelmed. She had never heard Harry sound so distant, so saddened. "Harry," she whispered. "Oh, Harry. It's okay, I know you were frustrated, an-and tired, an-and…I already know…" she trailed off weakly, her voice was swallowed up by the empty room.

Harry looked up sharply. "Know what?" he demanded, his previous vulnerability vanishing in an instant.

"I know about you…and Cedric."

Cedric came up behind Harry, and drew him closer, his touch comforting the smaller teen. "So, you know that we're dating?" Cedric asked. "See Harry? I told you it would be easier to tell girls than guys!" he laughed, breaking the moment. To Hermione's joy, Harry smiled.

Harry threw his arms around Hermione. "So you did know, didn't you? And you're okay with it?"

"Of course I am!" Hermione said, returning the embrace. "Who am I to change who my best friend likes?"

"Awe, thanks Hermione," Harry whispered, breaking the embrace, and going back to stand by Cedric.

"So, we're all happy again, are we not?" Cedric said, scooping Harry up in his arms and giving him a peck on the cheek.

Harry giggled and responded, "Why wouldn't we be?"

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I loved the end. Good Night ENGLAND[You know what button to click, don't you??? 


	11. My Faithful Lullaby

HELLO ENGLAND!! Yes, England, you do matter to me. Anyway, I am sorry to all of my faithfuls for not being able to update at all lately, but the computer was very hard to get to these past couple of weeks, but never fear, I will always try to update as many times as possible. Now, this chapter is a tad shorter than the other ones, but it contains a crucial component that you will all need to understand, so you must read it all the way through. What that component is, I can't tell you, 'cause that would ruin the surprise. So, read and review my faithfuls, and any newbies that are just finding my wonderfully written story for the first time. No self-esteem issues there, LOL! Anyway, LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

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Rating: K+ HONESTLY! I need to have something else to put here. But that would involve getting physical. Idk, should I do that soon??

Disclaimer: Here, let me put it in cave talk for those of us that have a lower IQ than that of a monkey's: You know who you are Me no own!

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Harry looked cautiously from side to side, looking for any signs of light down either of the hallways. Finding none, he checked the Marauders Map for anyone that was hidden from the naked eye. Again, finding the surrounding corridors deserted, he slowly made his way to the seventh floor. It was 9:30, a half an hour before he was supposed to meet Cedric in the Room of Requirement. He had something planned for his boyfriend, a thanks for what had done earlier that day. Making it to the right spot, Harry paced in front of three times, the invisibility cloak rippled like water around him with every step he took. When the ornate, arabesque door appeared, he slowly opened it, wincing at the creek it had made. It seemed to echo off of every wall, reverberate from every stone in the massive castle of Hogwarts. _Cedric will be so…amazed,_ was the word that Harry came up with. When he opened the door, he gasped in astonishment. The Room of Requirement had _really _out done itself this time. When Harry stepped into the room, he did not here the clack of his trainers on a hard floor, but rather he had heard the soft rustle of grass as he slowly sank down to the hard ground, which was…_earth._ Giant deciduous trees stretched and grew forever into the fake sky that was the ceiling. A shimmering moon shone through the leaves, peppering the ground with sparse rays of light. And, oh the smells! The fresh pine scent, the smell of green grass, and the aromas of the billions of flowers that happily swayed in the mock breeze. It was as if Harry had left Hogwarts completely, and was in some other tropical country. He looked behind him, and through the doorway he saw the seventh floor corridor plain and normal as ever. He shut the door, and started to walk through the room.

Each tree looked and felt authentic, each small nick in the bark looked so real. The only thing that looked odd was the fact that in the bark of one of the trees was inlaid with an odd design, similar to that of one of those Muggle stereos. That was odd. Harry examined it more closely to find that it shone with life, as if waiting to be played. Harry cautiously pressed the eject button, to see if it wasn't some authentic looking façade, and jumped back in surprised when the stereo responded, and the CD holder slid out soundlessly. Slowly, he pressed the eject button again, and he walked into the middle of the carefully sculpted scene, just completely amazed at the sheer beauty and precision of what the Room of Requirement had done.

From somewhere in the tangle of vines that lined the practically invisible wall came a soft knocking sound, and Harry knew that Cedric had arrived. After searching for a couple of seconds through the vines for a very well concealed doorknob, Harry finally was able to open the door and reveal an astonished Cedric.

"H-H-Harry? What is all this?" Cedric whispered.

Giggling, Harry pulled his boyfriend into the room and joyously shut the door. Tugging Cedric to the middle of the room, he tackled the taller boy there, and they both fell down on the soft grass, with Harry on top. "My little gift to you," Harry said.

"It's…wonderful. But, how did you know, and what for?" Cedric asked, still astonished.

"Well," Harry said slowly. "You told me that you like to camp a lot, and so I thought it would be a great one-week anniversary present if you could come back into the forest that you loved so much, and I did it as a thank you for what you did earlier today."

"Ah…so you did it as an anniversary present," Cedric said, a smile coming to his face. "Good, you didn't forget." Craning his neck, he stretched up and gave Harry a peck on the cheek. Harry giggled again. "Now, Mr. Potter," Cedric said mockingly. "If you would please get off me, I will give you my present."

Harry looked at him, his eyes pouring out with pure joy at the fact that Cedric had done something also. He was purely ecstatic. He jumped off of Cedric, and helped him to his feet.

Once upright, Cedric looked around, and found in the tree that Harry had been examining earlier. He looked at his boyfriend. "Is that a CD player?" he asked.

Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"Good," Cedric said. He approached it, pulling something from the pocket of his robes as he went. Harry made to follow, but Cedric said, "No, just sit on the grass and listen, k?" Harry obeyed at once.

Cedric fiddled with the stereo for a bit, and soon came back to his lover. As soon as he sat down and pulled Harry into his arms, a soft melody began to play. Harry made to say something, but Cedric put a finger to his lips and whispered, "Just listen."

The song was soft and flowing, almost like a lullaby. The piano moved up and down beautiful cords, and the singer's voice rose and fell melodiously. Harry was awed by it's splendor, and Cedric just smiled down at him. Then, the words struck him.

_I have been blind, unwilling_

_To see the true love you're giving_

_I have ignored every blessing_

_I'm on my knees, confessing_

_Then I feel myself surrender_

_Each time I see your face_

_I am staggered by your beauty_

_Your unassuming grace_

_And I feel my heart is turning_

_Falling into place_

_I can't hide_

_Now here my confession_

_I have been wrong about you_

_I thought I was strong without you_

_For so long_

_Nothing could move me_

_For so long_

_Nothing could change me_

_Now I feel myself surrender_

_Each time I see your face_

_I am captured by your beauty_

_Your unassuming grace_

_And I feel my heart is turning_

_Falling into place_

_I can't hide it_

_Now here my confession_

_You are the air that I breathe_

__

You're the ground beneath my feet

When did I stop believing?

'Cause I feel myself surrender

Each time I see your face

I am staggered by your beauty

Your unassuming grace

And I feel my heart is falling into place

I can't hide

Now hear my confession

I can't hide

Now hear my confession

Hear my confession

As the last notes died out into the background, as the trees absorbed the final sounds, Cedric looked down at Harry. Harry was staring at him. No, that wasn't right. He was staring _into_ him. Harry's eyes were filled to the brim with gratitude, they practically overflowed with that warm feeling. And then, it all came spilling out the tears dropped freely, staining dark spots on Cedric's robe.

Cedric was completely taken aback. Was his lover crying in joy, or sorrow? Harry's reaction was so abstract to Cedric that all he could do was sit there dumbfounded and stare at the young Gryffindor. Then, he seemed to float back into his body, he seemed to come back to his senses, he gathered Harry up in his arms and held him close.

"What's wrong, love? It wasn't that bad, was it?" Cedric asked, cuddling him.

"N-no, it w-was b-beautiful," Harry sniffled as he tried to stem the flow of tears. He snuggled up to Cedric's chest.

"Then why are you crying?" Cedric asked, still confused.

"B-because it _was _beautiful."

"Good, cause you had me thinking that it had been a mistake to have you listen to it."

Harry laughed through the tears, his giggle making Cedric laugh as well.

"What do you call it?" Harry asked after the tears had finally stopped.

"The song is called My Confession, by Josh Groban. But, how about you and I call it My Faithful Lullaby?"

Yes, that song is an actual one, and it's one of my favorites by him. I will post a link to it so that you can hear the real thing on my profile, just give me a couple of minutes, k? Hope you liked it! By the way, isn't this like the huuuuuuuuuugest fluff you've ever read? I mean, might as well just throw in a couple of clouds and whipped cream on top! Oh well, R&R people, R&R...


	12. Insecure

Hey guys! It's Fluffy, or now as I like to call myself, Cosmo! Sorry for the lack of updates, but my life has been a little crazy. I'll try and update more often, but I promise nothing. Thanks for those of you who have stuck with me so far, after all, this is the longest story I have ever written, and you guys have been able to see it through from beginning to end. So, I want to thank you, and I want to welcome those of you who have just found this story. Hope you like the next installment of My Faithful Lullaby!

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Rating: PG! In the next couple chapters, I promise for all of you lemon fans out there, k?

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, A) I would die of happiness, and do I look dead to you? and B) I'd be rich. Filthy rich. So rich I could hire people to type this story over and over again, and still go sleep in a five star hotel every night I want to. Do I sound rich to you?

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!

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For Harry, the next weeks flew by in a blur. Slowly, he began know everything about his boyfriend, his likes, his dislikes, his fears, everything. And Harry noticed that slowly, ever so slowly, he was coming out of that protective shell that had held all of his deepest, darkest, secrets. Harry could remember spending time in the Room of Requirement, animatedly telling Cedric all of his life in the Dursley's, which sadly wasn't very interesting. He remembered telling Cedric all that had happened during his first year at Hogwarts, when he had gone to retrieve the Sorcerer's Stone. He found himself telling Cedric that he had saved Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets, and that he had slain the basilisk. Cedric was a great audience, gasping, laughing, and crying all in the right places. But one thing that Harry did avoid was talking about his third year, and whenever Cedric asked him about that certain time, Harry skipped around the facts of his godfather, telling him only about the beginning of the year and excluding the last week.

Of course, Cedric knew all about his fourth year, but Harry's boyfriend never ceased to wonder what went on when Harry wasn't thinking about the Triwizard Tournament. And, he wanted detailed accounts of every task, especially the lake and the maze.

As the first term began to come to a close, Harry and Cedric were often found doing homework in the library together, surrounded by a considerable amount of books. Harry's grades rose drastically, and all of his teachers commented on it, even a disgruntled Professor Snape. Now, there was nothing Harry didn't understand, nothing that he had to ask to have repeated. Hermione noticed this, and she grinned whenever Harry danced into the common room, beaming. Ron, however, was wondering why Harry was so happy. It wasn't a bad thing, it was just that you don't become that happy for no reason at all. Ron tried to follow Harry whenever he went on his excursions to the Room of Requirement to meet Cedric, but was always turned back when the door refused to open. Ron hated feeling left in the dark, and Hermione surely showed that she knew something, but just smiled and slyly avoided the topic by skillfully changing the subject. Ron couldn't help feeling that he was getting more and more distant from Harry, for he always seemed either too engrossed in the lesson or daydreaming all the time. Hermione noticed that Ron seemed to be down in the dumps lately, and mentioned something to Harry.

"I really think you should talk to him Harry," she said looking up from her homework toward Harry, who was lounging in one of the plush chairs near the fire.

"Huh?" Harry said, looking at her.

"I think you should talk to Ron," she clarified.

"Why? We talk daily," Harry reasoned stupidly.

"Do you though?" Hermione asked sternly.

"Sure we-…" Harry thought back over the past week. Now that he thought of it, he and Ron had never had a decently long conversation together. Sure, they had the small questions like, "Pass me the lizard entrails," and "Could you grab that for me?" But besides that, they really hadn't interacted with each other at all. More frequently, Ron could be seen hanging out with Dean and Seamus, totally ignoring Harry. Not like Harry cared at all. He was too caught up with Cedric to notice that he and Ron had spaced out. "Your right," he said. "We haven't actually talked in ages."

"Mmm," Hermione mumbled without looking up from her work.

Harry glanced around the room, scanning the crowd of Gryffindors for a certain red-haired and lanky teenager when he realized something. His head whipped around to face Hermione, who was still absorbed in her work.

"You want me to tell him, don't you?" Harry accused.

Hermione looked up at Harry's tone. "Tell him what?" she asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb. You want me to tell him that I'm going out with Ced!"

Hermione looked worried. "Oh, Harry," she said. "He told me that he feels blocked from you. He feels lonely, like he's not part of your life anymore. I feel really bad for him, and I think he feels really lonely right now."

"He's got Dean and Seamus," Harry reasoned.

"But he doesn't know them as well as he knows you!" Hermione shot back.

"Cause he knows me so well," Harry retorted. Hermione kicked him under the table for that one.

"Still, talk to him, and tell him what's been going on. I think it will be good for both of you."

"Okay, but let me ask Ced first."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but nodded.

Later, Harry made his way down to the Room of Requirement under the cover of the invisibility cloak, his bare feet padding noiselessly on the cold stone. He moved with experience, having done this many times before, and referred to the Marauder's Map less and less on these nightly excursions. Whenever Filch appeared, Harry just brushed right passed him, even though the grumpy hall enforcer rarely showed his face this early in the evening.

Soon, Harry arrived at the rooms door, and he knocked softly so as not to disturb a sleeping Nearly Headless Nick, who happened to float right on up behind him, knowing nothing of where he was going.

The door opened, and a breathless Cedric was filled its absence, who yanked Harry in and tackled him onto the couch.

"Well," Harry said, giggling as Cedric tickled him. "Someone's happy tonight."

"You bet," Cedric said, laughing. "I get to spend another couple hours with the boy of my dreams. Why wouldn't I?"

"You're right," Harry said haughtily. "I am amazing."

Cedric just tickled him harder.

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Midnight found them lying on the couch, Harry cuddled up in Cedric's arm and a blanket covering the both of them. The fire in front of them danced and swayed, mesmerizing Harry with it's twirling hues.

"Cedric?" Harry asked.

"Yes, love?" Cedric responded loftily.

"Have you told anyone about us?"

Cedric thought for awhile, his silence scaring Harry. "Yes, I have," he said finally.

"Who?" Harry asked, looking up at him.

"Cho Chang," Cedric answered, smiling down at Harry.

"Really?" Harry said loftily, trying not to portray his feelings about his ex-crush.

"Yeah, she's my best friend, and has been since we grew up in the same town before we came to Hogwarts. She knows everything about me, and I know everything about her."

This made Harry feel guilty. Ron was his best friend, and he still kept the truth from him. Cedric said that he told Cho everything because of their friendship, yet Harry was still not telling Ron everything. Harry felt miserable, and guilty, and downright depressed now that he saw what he had done wrong.

"Harry?" Cedric asked, his voice worry stricken.

"Hmm?" Harry said, brought back from his thoughts by his lover's voice.

"Are you okay? You went quiet all of a sudden."

"Yeah," Harry said distractedly. "Hey, Ced, do you mind if I told Ron?"

"Why would you ask? I don't care, and that's something you decide, not me," Cedric told him gently.

This made Harry even worse, because he had used his boyfriend as an excuse to put off telling Ron. "Will you come with me to tell him? I don't know how he'll react, and…."

"And what, love?" Cedric asked, hugging Harry even closer.

"I'm scared. I'm scared he'll go out and tell the world, I'm afraid that he'll think back on all the time we've spent in the Gryffindor Tower and feel insecure. I'm-…" Cedric put a finger to his lips, stopping him.

"Harry, it's fine. I'll be there, and if he's your friend, then he will think twice about telling. He'll know to leave that up to you."

Harry smiled, a genuine smile of happiness. "Yeah, you're right. He's my friend, and I should trust him enough not to tell him. Thanks, Ced," craning his neck, Harry stretched up and kissed him.

Cedric looked at his watch. "Alright, let's get you up bed, love. It's already half past one."

"Really?" Harry said, folding his harms in a mock pout.

"Do I need to carry you up there?"

Harry grinned fiendishly.

"Alright," Cedric said, and swung him up bridal style. Harry snuggled up to Cedric's chest and enjoyed the free ride up to the Fat Lady's portrait.

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A dark figure hid behind the tapestry opposite the Room of Requirement, and his head peeked out the side at the sound of movement in the corridor. He saw the two lovers head down the hall toward the Grand Staircase, and watch them disappear through the door. His mouth dropped open, and he stood still, not believing what he saw.

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A/N: oooOOOooo...who was behind the tapestry? Was it Ron? Malfoy? Colin Creevey? Or was it Seamus or Dean? Or some other Hufflepuff person wanting to know where Cedric went? Who knows? Stay tuned!

Cosmo


	13. Malicious Malfoy

So, I finally got another chapter up, an idea that struck me with that last review. THANKS SO MUCH! Okay, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: SO NOT MINE!!

Raiting: PG...Malfoy thinks bad, evil, malicious thoughts...

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Draco Malfoy walked dazedly down to the Slytherin common room, his head in a swirl. So the pompous Harry Potter was dating Cedric Diggory? THIS was juicy news! Now, the question was, how to use it to his advantage… Hmm… He could go right to Rita Skeeter, but she was surprisingly boring these days, her usual spunk lost since last year for a peculiar reason. So she wasn't an option. He could spread the gossip himself, or at least have that useless Parkinson girl do it for him. That tidbit of news would spread like wildfire through the school. But what would that get him? Just Potter's sheer embarrassment and he might not even get to witness that! No, Malfoy needed to think of a way to hold this over Harry's head like a ten-ton weight, threatening to crush him…That was it! Blackmail. With this, Malfoy could ensure all of the Quidditch matches Gryffindor played in were lost! A devilish smile began to stretch across Malfoy's wicked face as he considered the possibilities. He now had license to beat on him thoroughly for what had happened to his father! And Cedric Diggory would be powerless to help! This was amazing! Rushing back to his waiting owl in his dormitory, Malfoy snatched a slip of parchment from some worthless first year and a quill from the girl sitting across from him. He emitted a feral growl when they started to object, and their mouth's closed abruptly. He scrawled the note in his handsome lettering, trying to make it sound as menacing as possible, and he tied it to his owl's leg, and he flew of in a flurry of feathers.

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CLIFFIE!! I'll try to be better at updating. I sowwy I haven't in a long time, but my life is crazy these days!


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